The Dynamic Tensions Of The Postmodern Self: Fragmenting Identities In The Selected Short Stories Of Karim Raslan And Dina Zaman

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Date
2018-04
Authors
Babu Ali, Shaik Husseinudin
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Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
This study focuses on the postmodern ‘self’ in the portrayal of the characters in Karim Raslan’s and Dina Zaman’s selected short stories. It explores the dynamic tensions and the impact of postmodernism on the ‘self’ which result in the fragmentation of the ‘self’. The focus of the analysis of this study involves the construction of the postmodern ‘self’, how the postmodern ‘self’ subverts and negotiates cultural, religious, gender and sexual identities within the context of postmodern Malaysia. It also explores the strategies that are employed by the authors to subvert dominant ideas pertaining to culture, religion, gender and sexuality in their stories. The approach undertaken in this study is a postmodern approach which aims to achieve multiple levels of meaning and understanding which is believed to have the capacity of revealing a more complete and rounded view of the ‘self’. This study utilises the theories of three postmodern thinkers namely, Jacques Lacan and his theory of psychoanalysis to explore and describe how the postmodern ‘self’ is constructed, Jean-Francois Lyotard and his theory of ‘phrase regiments’ to examine how the postmodern ‘self’ subverts and negotiates his or her identity within their given environment and Jacques Derrida and his reading strategy of ‘deconstruction’ to identify the areas for analysis as well as to identify the strategies used by the two authors to subvert the dominant ideas regarding culture, religion, gender and sexuality through their stories.
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Postmodern ‘self’ in the portrayal of the characters , Karim Raslan’s and Dina Zaman’s selected short stories
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